Objectif: l'autre

by Lyonel Trouillot

De quoi donc une vie est-elle faite Dans les livres de la collection Fragments d'une vie, des crateurs grnent leurs souvenirs. Au fil de leurs flneries, ils nous racontent leurs rencontres, nous entretiennent de leurs amitis, nous parlent des livres qu'ils ont aims, des films qui les ont touchs, des expriences qui les ont marqus, des musiques qui les habitent, des voyages qu'ils ont entrepris, bref, de tout ce qui les a constitus. En se livrant chacun leur manire, ils nous ouvrent les portes de leur royaume intrieur. "C'est toujours idiot de raconter ses souvenirs. Ils prennent leur autonomie, nous chappent, nous reviennent, avec cette faon qu'ont les choses rebelles de ne pas demander notre avis avant de se manifester. Et puis, parler, raconter, c'est toujours cacher quelque chose. Le rcit est le territoire mme de l'vitement. Pendant que vous me racontez une histoire, d'autres se droulent qui mriteraient tout aussi bien d'tre contes. Qui en moi dcide de ce dont je me souviens Et pourquoi ai-je choisi l'oubli de tel visage ou de tel vnement Peut-tre n'ai-je livr que les choses avec lesquelles il m'est permis de vivre en cachant celles qui me hantent vraiment "

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Lyonel Trouillot (born Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on December 31, 1956) is a novelist and poet in French and Haitian Creole, a journalist and a professor of French and Creole literature in Port-au-Prince.

Lyonel Trouillot was born in a family of lawyers. The writer Évelyne Trouillot is his sister. Following his parents' divorce in the late 1960s, he went to the United States with his mother. He returned to Haiti at age 19, in 1975.

Between 1980-82, political repression forced Trouillot to emigrate to Miami.

He studied law, but switched to literature early in his career.

Trouillot has contributed to different newspapers and magazines in Haiti. He has published poetry, and also writes song lyrics for such musical artists as Tanbou Libète and Manno Charlemagne.

In 2014 he wrote together with Raoul Peck and Pascal Bonitzer the script for Peck's feature film Murder in Pacot.

Trouillot is known for his service to democracy in his country, and for his resistance to Haitian dictatorship. He was part of the Collective Non of intellectuals and artists that helped to force out the democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He was a member of the transitional government following the departure of Aristide, as a cabinet member of the minister of culture.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Purple Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some chapters were definitely better than others, but overall, a very enjoyable read.